Captivate
by angelwolf123
Summary: She expected a monster, but found a man instead. Fem!NarutoXHumanoid!Kurama
1. Encounter

_**Captivate**_

**A/N**: Hello there! Thank you for viewing my story! If you were looking for some Fem!Naruto/Human-form!Kyuubi action, this is the place for you! Note, also, that Naruto is a girl here. And, if there is any further confusion, Kurama will be male. ;)

Also, to my previous readers; you win. I've decided to make the chapters longer. Check the bottom of this for the update.

**Warnings:**

-Coarse language

-Suggestive themes

-Violence?

-Genderbending

-Spoilers?

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><p><strong>Encounter<strong>

Kurama had almost forgotten what it was like to be alive.

The screams of the scattering mortals, the crunch of buildings. The winds, spurred by the thrashing of nine tails, rushed through his fur. It was a gross parody of freedom; Madara's detestable Sharingan held him as surely as any seal. But, the Kyuubi would take what he could.

He held no sympathy for the pain of man. In fact, Kurama relished it. The demon's heart pounded with mad desire, a lust for blood that could not be quelled with the destruction of a single village.

More. He wanted more.

But of course, everything was over in a instant. The roaring inferno of vitality that had been Kurama was torn in two, and snuffed out as easily as any candle flame.

They intended to seal him within eight pounds of newborn flesh. How insulting.

But any small satisfaction he garnered from the simultaneous deaths of both the one responsible for his imprisonment, and his previous host, was quickly lost in the tides of the Kyuubi's despair. The sudden loss of liberty stripped him bare; more-so than any continued imprisonment ever could.

_Ah_, he mused. _Ensnared by a mere human pup_.

* * *

><p><strong><em>12 years into the future...<em>**

So, she was probably gonna die. For some reason the Pervy Sage had decided to push her off of a cliff and_ hey-guess-what-the-old-man-is-fucking-crazy_!

Stomach long since dropped, the twelve year-old's long blonde hair whipped about, stinging her cheeks and threatening to break loose from their pigtails.

At the speed the blonde was plummeting, her screams were torn from her throat before she had the chance to properly hear them. Naruto could claw and cling as much as she liked; the rocky surfaces of the canyon were coated in some sort of slime and gave no friction or foothold.

Well, shit.

But then something clicked. Darkness enveloped the twelve-year old, locking into place with a strange kind of certainty.

_Plip_.

It was the steady sound of a leaky water faucet... only amplified. Echoes whispered of empty space, pooled liquids, and hard walls. Naruto's blue eyes flickered open, and she rose with an uncharacteristic grace. Though her place of awakening appeared to be an underground labyrinth of sorts, the blonde felt oddly at ease.

Entranced, even.

Disregarding the sputtering crack lights and flooded stone passageways, the kunoichi began to move forward. She continued, drawn by the rumbling of distant growls... for at this point it was quite clear these events were taking place within the confines of her own mind. Naruto turned a corner, entering a spacious room, the back wall containing the biggest cage she'd seen in her entire life.

Admittedly, 'cage' would be putting it lightly. It was a massive structure of imprisonment; heavy metal bars stretching high into the air, reaching the lifted ceiling. Two fortified gates locked by a single paper seal.

An empty, empty room. Where everything else in the world had been constructed of Naruto, this was different. A feeling of desolation hung heavy in the air, and the blonde couldn't place this feeling of... foreignness. Whatever lurked within the darkness of captivity, it wasn't any inner demon of her own making.

The rumbling quieted to a purr. "_Little girl... come closer_."

What? Naruto's solar plexus twisted, recoiling automatically. Something was off. However, it'd take more than an ominous feeling to psyche out this future Hokage. The kunoichi stood her ground, warily eying the darkness between the bars.

"_Little girl_..." The call came again, and the blonde tried not to laugh. Like hell she'd go to him. But... could this voice possibly be...? Naruto stifled a gulp, and took a slow, measured step forward. If her suspicions were correct...

A near-white, long-fingered hand slipped through the cage, stretching towards her. Naruto blinked. A human?

Wait. No.

Those fingernails looked an awful lot like claws.

She frowned, and second hand appeared, resting against one of the massive prison bars. The remainder of this unknown figure remained hidden in the shadows, setting aside the occasional, unnerving glints of red somethings.

The outstretched pointer-finger curled, beckoning. His words were little more than a low murmur. "..._do you wish to be devoured_?"

Uh.

Naruto froze midstep, before beginning to slowly backpedal. Her blue eyes, now wide, fixated on the cement floor. Okay... so maybe this wasn't such a good idea, after all. She should probably leave. This dude was being creepy as hell, and not in a familiar, Jiraya manner. But, she didn't get far before a bubbling, hissing substance the color of blood practically glowed out of the corner of Naruto's vision.

The 12 year-old jerked her head up in alarm. It was oozing out from between the bars of the cage, directly beneath the prisoner. Naruto's throat tightened in understanding, and her retreat came to a premature end. "That chakra..." Oh, she fuckin' _knew_ it.

Her gaze hardened, shifting to glare directly those gleaming orbs of red she thought could be his eyes. The kunoichi's head cocked to the side, jaw setting in that stubborn manner. "Oi... you're '_that guy_', aren't you?"

Silence.

"...figured it out, have you?" The outstretched hand curled into a fist, returning to the darkness. Naruto's nose wrinkled in confusion. Now, it wasn't like she was the expert, but... "Say, aren't you supposed to be some sort of fox?"

A gleaming, fang-filled smirk. "What makes you think I'm not?"

The twelve year-old gave the remaining hand a look of stark disbelief. The demon that made her life hell could at least have been cool-looking. He was just some dude. Talk about a rip-off! She yawned. "You have some chompers; big deal. I've seen grandmas with sharper teeth than you."

"Be grateful I can't kill you." The room rumbled with the implied threat in his voice.

Naruto gaped for only a moment before she scoffed. "Pfft. I don't answer to you, old man; I'm the landlord around here, believe it."

"Is that so?" The demon's grip on the confining iron bar tightened.

The twelve year-old only grinned, and proudly jabbed a thumb at her beloved orange jacket. "Yeah! This is my body, and I'm letting you live here. You owe me rent, Fox. As payment I'll be taking your chakra!"

Scarlet eyes narrowed, pupils nothing more than slits. "...you certainly are _brave_, little girl." The Kyuubi hissed. "Very well. I will reward you, and grant your request. It would be a pity if you died after coming this far."

As he spoke, the crimson chakra spread, bubbling under the kunoichi's feet. Naruto looked down in alarm, but the malevolent substance continued its advance, enveloping her before she had the chance to scream.

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><p><strong>AN:***sighs* I hope you people are happy now. Basically, each chapter is going to be an encounter between her and Kurama. I'll be mostly going off of canon events at first, taking liberties and inventing my own every once and a while. Therefore, chapter lengths will fluctuate depending on the event size, ranging from a 500 word minimum to three times this chapter.

This is a NarutoXKyuubi romance fic, so it won't involve external events until they become relevant. Remember to review! ;-;

**Disclaimer:** Nope, I can't even draw Naruto, let alone own him.


	2. Ignite

**Disclaimer:** Nope, I'm not cool enough to own Naruto,

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><p><strong>Ignite<strong>

Brought to the brink of defeat by an _insect_.

A wash of shame and humiliation. Disgust tasted bitter in the demon's mouth. The air within his host's psyche was super-charged with fury and a hint of... desperation? Ridiculous. A fresh jolt of mortification stabbed through the caged fox.

During this battle, his little human had somehow managed to descend down into new depths of pathetic. Truly impressive.

The spike of the child's increased feelings made his fur (_hair?_) stand on end. Kurama hissed, nine chakra tails twitching in irritation. shifting and flowing around his human form. Little runt. What was she thinking, letting the Hyuuga insect get close enough to silence her chakra?

No matter. Kurama could endure. This whole event whispered of opportunity. _'Win over the human girl.' _His plan might only succeed if she becomes dependent on him.

...

When she finally appeared, the darkness of his captivity hid the kyuubi's shudder of revulsion. The human kit looked too much like her mother for him to rest easily.

Runt's blue eyes almost seemed to glow in the dim half-light. The little girl panted heavily, water splashing as she jogged towards him. Unfortunately, she stopped a safe distance away. A pity. Kurama barely stifled his sigh of disappointment.

"Oi, fox," she growled. "I'll be taking some of that chakra now."

Perfect. "May I ask the reason, little girl?" Though he already knew the answer, Kurama took on a curious air and leaned to rest his weight against one of his pillars. This is the chance he's been waiting for. How thrilling.

The waif simply sneered, lips curling over tiny human teeth. "Bastard. Just hurry and pay up. I don't have all day."

Insolent chit! Kurama's eyes ignited with crimson flame, a heat that proved difficult to quell. He _had_ to calm down, but thoughts were difficult to discern over the roaring that filled his pointed ears. _'Hush.'_ Kurama soothed his pride with mental images of a slowly dismembered little blond girl. Of open sky and _freedom_.

A freedom he won't ever obtain if he allowed a mere human to have such a hold over his temper.

"Hurry up, old man, I think I'm getting wrinkles," The impudent mortal's voice carried _just_ enough high-pitched worry in it to keep Kurama from attempting to rip her smug face off.

Heh. About time the cocky runt got nervous. He could work with this. The fox pacified, "_No need for that_. Time doesn't work the same in here." Of course, the pup only gave him a blank look. Irritating, stupid little girl. Kurama took a deep, calming breath.

Maybe the simpleton would understand small words? "Think about it," he explained as slowly as he could. "Last time you visited me, you were within yourself for about ten minutes. If that much time had passed in real life, you would be a puddle at the bottom of that canyon." _'If only...'_

Her blond eyebrows twitched. "So... You're saying Hyuuga _isn't_ kicking my ass right now?"

"Oh he is," The prisoner couldn't help but to laugh. The insect has been readying his final blow for approximately five minutes. "...however, not for long." Kurama's fangs flashed with bloodlust in the meager lighting.

Runt's eyes widened, before narrowing and glazing over. Possibly thinking about the Hyuuga and her tiny human battle. Assuming she was capable of sentient thought. "You'd better believe it," she promises. Her voice was dark. Hyuuga is going to lose.

The Kyuubi's grin widened. _'Perhaps my plan may succeed after all.' _The things he does to walk freely.

"You said you required chakra?"

* * *

><p><em><strong>Several hours later...<strong>_

_'I-I'm choking!?'_

Naruto kicked out, her blow lost in the millions of sand particles. The sand swirled around the kunoichi, crushing her in a constantly shifting, unbreakable grip. The tiny rocks were rough and heated, smothering Naruto with the stench of blood.

"Dammit...!" Screw this! Naruto swore, and let the darkness overtake her.

...

The fox was as big of a jerk as always. Deep, echoing laughter bounced around the walls of her subconscious. "Ah, I just love family reunions, don't you, runt?"

Naruto snarled. Him and his stupid monster family. It was weird to think the tailed beasts could be related in a familial sense. Like he's one to make fun of her! "Shuddup, bastard. Shukaku's a hundred times bigger than you are!"

Silence... followed by _more_ laughter.

From her position across the flooded room, the blonde wondered if that was his pale fist thumping against one of his stone columns. "Truly!?" The fox's voice was higher pitched than usual, bordering on hysterical. "Did you truly just compare my human form to my little brother's beast form?"

Wait, what... Human form!? So her demon _wasn't_ deformed? She had been so positive that her demon, of all demons, would be the one that was small and weirdly shaped. Naruto's eyes widened as she stumbled forward. "Have you been holding out on me, old man!?"

The fox sucked in a few gasping breaths before he managed a response. "Surely you did not think this was the only shape I possessed?"

Err... maybe. Naruto certainly wasn't going to tell him that, though. The first time he laughs, and it's at _her_ expense. No more of that, if she could help it.

"Pfft, no. 'Course not. I was..." Naruto scratched the top of her head, brows scrunched in thought. "...just testing you. Yeah. That's what I was doing." The twelve year-old puffed out her chest and gave a short bark of laughter. "Hah! So there." The demon didn't respond. Probably in awe of how badly he just got owned by her awesome comeback. Serves him right; that's what you get when you mess with a top kunoichi.

Fox's voice was devoid of emotion. "I give up. My host is an utter moron. Shukaku's the weakest, but he will kill us at this rate."

This guy is dumb as heck! Ignoring the jab (_for now_), Naruto kicked up an arch of water towards the Kyuubi's cage. "No he _won't_! I'm going to save Sakura and Sasuke, dammit! Gaara's going down!"

Shadowed by his prison, the kunoichi could only make out the reds of his eyes and the whites of his teeth. Maybe that image should've inspired fear, but frankly the genin didn't give a shit.

"Big words for a little girl," the demon taunted. "Even if I give I lend you my power, will you be able to back them up? This is the second time you've asked for help today."

Blah, blah, blah. Just keep on yapping, old man. "Hand it over already. I'll take out your bro in two seconds, just watch me." The fox gives a thoughtful _'hmm...'_ before scarlet chakra begins to bleed into the floodwaters of the room.

"_Believe me_..." The demon's satisfied purrs parodied her own verbal tick. "..._I will_."

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><p><strong>AN:** Sorry for the insanely long pause. Things happened, and I needed to plot out Kurama and Naruto's relationship chart. Shouldn't happen again. (Oh, and to everyone who is waiting... the romance will indeed pick up. Heheh.)

A thousand thank-yous to everyone who reviewed/followed/favorited! I hope this chapter's not too much of a disappointment, but at least it's something.

Please comment, and tell me what you think. It really helps me come out with new chapters faster when I'm writing for you guys. ;-;


	3. Swoon

**Disclaimer:** Apparently I don't own Naruto, _or_ the ability to come up with creative disclaimers.

**Scenes Referenced:** The 'Search for Tsunade' arc, when Itachi and Kisame come to take Naruto while Jiraya is distracted. Then, later, when she's fighting Kabuto and has a near death experience.

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><p><strong>Swoon<strong>

Uchiha.

The word rang with past experiences, smudged with the ashes of corpses and seared with flames of pure and utter _rage_. Kurama saw glimpses of the battle through Naruto's eyes, and could already hear the clinking of chains shadowing his dismal prison.

No. Shake it off. This Uchiha wasn't... wasn't _that_ one. The one who had haunted him far past the limits of a mortal lifespan. Responsible for tying him up in puppet strings and sending him into the cage of his first jinchuriki. Huffing and splashing shattered the demon's brooding. It seemed his host was as noisy as always.

"F-Fox..." the twelve year-old gasped. "...I could really use your help right now..." Her words dissolved into a fit of wheezing as the weakling bent over, hands on her knees. Kurama sighed. Was she not aware that, as her subconscious, bodily needs were optional? This was her domain. She had all the power here. Well, if she didn't know, then he certainly wasn't complaining.

The nine-tailed fox shifted in his cell, shadows dancing over snowy skin and outdated robes. "Haven't seen you in a while, brat," Kurama greeted, _clearly_ not letting any of his Uchiha-related anxiety leak into his tone. Clearly.

Brat scoffed, a disdainful 'bah'. "Shaddup, grandpa. Your landlady's getting tired of the attitude. Just be a nice fox and cough up the goods, okay?" It wasn't a question. His hair bristled with the insult, chakra tails spiking and bubbling. If the little idiot had half a brain she would've noticed the floodwaters rippling out from the gates, lapping at her silly shinobi sandals. Neither Mito nor Kushina had been nearly so impudent, nor blatantly _stupid_.

Damn Uzumaki women.

Breathe in... and breathe out. "I won't take sass from you, kit." Kurama ground out. Better inhale again, but slower. Exhale. There. Now speak. "My chakra is yours... _for now_." At that, the twelve year-old's blue eyes lit up. Obviously that little hint at the end had gone completely over her head.

As tendrils of the scarlet energy infused with her own chakra stores, the little girl grinned. "Thanks for that! I was in trouble for a while there... wait, what?" She blinked, before slamming her foot into the concrete floor, sending water splashing all over the place.

Kurama recoiled to avoid the shower of droplets, retreating back a few paces out of the splash-zone and into the relative safety of his cage. He saw what was occurring just as clearly as his host did. _'It seems I've underestimated Uchiha's companion...'_ Even as the real world moved in slow time, the lumbering shark-man's sword was absorbing the little kunoichi's demonic chakra as soon as it was given.

Was that his visitor swearing? Cute, but this wasn't the time for immature exclamations. The demon might've had half a mind to stick a bar of soap in his host's deplorable mouth if he actually cared about her development. For a child, the human certainly cursed frequently.

How irritating. The Kyuubi huffed in disgust, cautiously inching back towards the front of his confinement to confront the runt. He hadn't wanted to give her any more chakra than he had, but at this rate... Oh. The blonde had vanished. A ring of disturbed water was all that remained of her short-lived presence.

The fool! She would be defeated for sure!

* * *

><p><strong>Days, maybe weeks later...<strong>

They survived the encounter with the Uchiha and his companion only to die days later. The medic-nin with the gleaming glasses and the knowing smile had shoved through his host's chest, severing her heart muscles and chakra system.

Darkness crept in.

The kunoichi stood closer than normal, but her arms dangled limply at her sides and her head was slack, only the top of her skull was visible to him as her blonde hair spilled over her front. Gold strands, falling loose from their pigtails, were quickly becoming soaked with the blood that was bubbling up from the gaping hole in her ribs.

It made sense that the twerp would retreat to her subconscious before she died.

Kurama's chakra ears folded flat against his long hair. He edged closer to the bars of his cage, alarm rising in his chest as the room temperature began to plummet. The demon shivered, the chill managing to sink its teeth directly into his bones. Lovely. The brat couldn't just keel over on her own; she had to drag him down with her.

The fox's lips, now faintly blue, curled back into a snarl. The little girl would have to try a whole lot harder than that if she wanted to take him out. "Hey, kit." Kurama barked, settling a freezing palm against one the gate's bars. Bad choice; they were freezing. But the fox didn't move his hand, and leaned forward to push his head through the gap in the cage. "Wake up already. Who gave you permission to die?"

No answer. Only a steady dripping from the 12 year-old's chest.

A tiny bout of anxiety began to gnaw and nibble at the kitsune. No. He'd been with her since the day she was born; that brat wouldn't let something as insignificant as a _fatal injury_ to put her down for the count. If the mortal had any good point whatsoever it would be her abundance of sheer, unstoppable determination.

Kurama watched her blood turn to red smoke beneath the surface of the room's floodwaters, taking a slow step back into his cage. He tried to swallow, failed, and opted instead to squeeze his eyes shut. This couldn't be happening! He couldn't die like this, trapped and alone and freezing. When the demon opened his eyes, the room was that much darker.

There was a red spot on his chest, over where he thought his heart might be. The area began to throb, and a great splashing shattered the silence of the room as Kurama, strongest of the tailed beasts, fell to his knees.

His robes on his lower half soaked through, and when the fox ventured to brush the red spot with tentative fingertips, the spot was larger and just as soaked. Blood. He was bleeding!

Kurama hissed, crawling back towards the openings of his confinement. By this point, the kunoichi had collapsed, a third of her body concealed by the water. She was on her side, facing his way with an expression akin to slumber. Something had dribbled from her parted lips, leaving a crimson streak down her too-pale cheek. Right. Punctured lung, and all that.

Could the Kyuubi fix his broken host?

Summoning his chakra, the demon reached out to the dying girl, clawed hands extended, but falling short by at least ten feet. His eyebrows furrowed, a feeling akin to desperation beginning to build in his chest (he knew the exact spot; it was red and only growing redder). Kurama shuddered, hand falling to the ground uselessly as the blackness began to shadow the outskirts of his vision.

Her chakra had been severed from her heart. He couldn't touch her.

"Brat, I'm serious..." Had his mouth always been so dry? "...don't die. At least not while I'm around. Wait to do it on your own time." The joke, if you could call it that, quickly soured in the empty air.

Kurama, sagging against his gate, struggled to lift his arm for another attempt to save both of their lives. How could a single limb be so _heavy_? His fingers twitched towards the blonde's unconscious form, and moved no further.

Things were slowing down. Kurama's vision fogged as he forced his jaw open, his lips to form words. He didn't even know what, or even if, he was saying at this point. "H-Hum...an... wake up... already. D-damn i-it..." His head slumped, cheek resting on icy metal. Though, at this point the demon could scarcely feel the cold.

A swiftly blackening and blurring image of his host's yellow hair dyed vermillion with blood. "Naru...to..." the Kyuubi ground out, reddening waters soaking into his robes, his damned _soul_.

Kurama knew... the moment his eyelids... slid shut... he was heading... straight for... the abyss.

Darkness.

* * *

><p><strong>AN:** Heyyy guys this chapter is a little longer than the last one, but not by much. Sorry the chapters have been so short; they'll increase dramatically in length once I get the first half of Naruto out of the way. In Shippuden, things will _definitely_ start picking up. *waggles eyebrows* On that note, we only have one more chapter to go before reaching Shippuden. Muchmuchmuch thanks to everyone who reviewed/favorited/followed! I appreciate it more than you know, hah. ;-;

Leave a comment if you have any ideas for scenes to incorporate between the two of them once Naruto gets older. I already know where I'm going with this story, but I wouldn't mind doing some fan-service if it's something a lot of people are wanting. Also, tell me if I've got Naruto and Kurama in character. I know I've got Naruto down pretty well, but I've been sifting through some fanfictions and my portrayal of Kurama is pretty different than a lot of interpretations. How do you guys feel about that?

**Up Next:** The Sasuke Retrieval Arc!


	4. Gaze

**Disclaimer:** Yeahhh, I really don't own Naruto. Oh, and SPOILER WARNING.

**Scenes Referenced:** Sasuke vs. Naruto at the Valley of the End. Sasuke nearly kills Naruto, who taps into the Kyuubi's chakra and heals herself. Naruto seems to be winning, until Sasuke develops his Sharingan up a level, and knocks her out once more. This time, the fox bequeaths her with his"chakra cloak". The first state of this is the one-tailed form, and while Naruto takes a level in badass, Sasuke wins anyways.

Also, Kurama is seen recalling the battle between Madara and Hashirama the first Hokage, in which Madara controlled him with the Sharingan.

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><p><strong>Gaze<strong>

A fatal wound. Naruto stood bleeding before him once more. Rivulets of red streamed down the human's ridiculous orange jacket, dripping and mixing with the floodwaters at her feet.

The sight made Kurama's lips curl into a snarl.

A knot of anger coiled deep within his gut. _Uchiha_. The demon's eyes slid shut, allowing himself to view the world from his host's point of view. Achingly familiar... the Valley of the End. For a moment, he was lost in another fight, in another era. Sharingan. Servitude. Kill Hashirama.

Wait- _no_! Kurama jolted back into the present, blinking furiously. Contemplating the times his will had been stripped away... nothing good could come from it. The mass of hatred, the sheer _loathing_ that made up his existence, would have to be set aside for now._ You have a child to save_, the demon reminded himself.

"I can't loose this fight, Fox." the child croaked, voice breaking. "No- I _won't_ loose. Not to that bastard." The kunoichi's head tilted downwards, and Kurama couldn't see her face past the curtain of blonde hair.

More promises. Naruto could talk herself up, but in the end she was no different from the other humans. Kurama could see the darkness behind those determined blue eyes, feel the residual bitterness and resentment had built up within her chakra. Naruto carried a façade; her true self was nothing more than an embodiment of animosity. Much like himself.

The snarl shifted into a sneer. "That wound would have killed you, if not for my presence." Even now, the severed muscle and bone on her torn shoulder began to knit together, bound by blood vessels and lung tissue.

"Shut up!" Naruto's head shot up, azure orbs ablaze. "Sasuke's a retard, but he's _my_ retard. I promised Sakura I'd drag him back even if I had to break every bone in that asshole's body!" Her fists, clenched at her sides, were shaking.

Kurama fell silent, chakra tails shifting in thought. The kunoichi's outward tenacity fell on deaf ears. The girl spoke of loyalty and friendship, but all he could hear were words of desperation and hurt. He chose his next words carefully. "...the Uchiha has abandoned your precious shinobi village, yet you're willing to go to such lengths for him?"

Naruto recoiled, before snapping back with doubled ferocity. "I would do anything for my family, old man!"

Ah. So that's how it was. Kurama himself had never felt especially close to his... family. If one could call them that. But, despite that, he too would bend over backwards for their benefit if need be. Nine parts of a whole; the innate connection was impossible to dispute. The Uchiha was her brother in all ways except blood. This time, at least, he understood his human's point of view.

"_Hmm..._ fine. I will grant you my power."

* * *

><p><strong><em>Minutes later...<em>**

"You runt, you really are weak!"

Naruto twitched in her sleep, floating atop the waters of her subconscious. "Wha...?" The kunoichi groaned, clutching her throbbing head as she swung her torso into a sitting position. "What happened? I remember Sasuke... then nothing."

Hidden in the darkness of his prison, the old man who lived inside her (_kami that sounds creepy_) was practically spitting in rage. "_What happened_? You were nearly killed! That damn Sharingan..." The fox's lecture faded into a low growl before busting through the silence once more. "Your sheer incompetence is appalling!"

The blonde hissed; it felt like her forehead was splitting open. The old man really needed to shut the hell up, his stupid lectures were just making it hurt more. "Stick a sock in it old man, I'm not down for the count just yet." The kunoichi peeled herself off the surface of the water, now standing, but rubbing her temples religiously.

"His pretty new eyes caught me off guard, is all. Hand over some more chakra and I'll kick his ass real fast." But just... wait until this stupid headache goes away. Ouch.

A flash of blindingly white fangs. "Do you truly think you can defeat him in your condition?" _Uh, yeah._ But for the benefit of her pained head, Naruto remained silent, lips drawn into a taut line. "He will destroy both of us... you runt, you don't deserve this. At that, the blonde tilted her chin upwards to look at him.

A sound came from behind the bars- the sliding of fabric. Was he taking off his clothes? Oh shit. "H-hey fox, no one wants to see you naked!" Naruto sweatdropped, taking a few cautious steps backwards.

There was a long, drawn out sigh, followed by a growl of frustration. "Silence, kit. I'm bequeathing my cloak to you. Be grateful." A pale hand (_hmm, notably without wrinkles?_) slipped out from between two columns, clawed fingers curled around the neckline of a long, sweeping haori. The cloak shimmered faintly, from red to orange to yellow, looking for all in the world as though the cloth had been set aflame.

Naruto nearly choked. _'It's looks so badass!'_ She shifted closer, sandaled feet sending ripples across the water. "Please tell me you were wearing something under that." She could see his scarlet eyes even through the darkness of his confinement. The slit pupils contracted, before narrowing. "Just take it before I change my mind, mortal."

She could take a hint. The kunoichi shuffled up to him, accepting the cloak with both hands. The dormant, fiery quality of the fabric ignited at her touch, raw power licking up her arms. Naruto, already retreating several feet, raised her eyebrows in appreciation. The haori was warm and thrumming with demonic chakra; clearly awesome as hell.

"Sooo... what will this do for me, exactly?" Naruto asked as she fed one arm through one of the sleeves, watching as the red chakra within the threads began to bubble at the contact. Glancing back to the huge gates, she could see that the demon's exposed hand had returned to the shadows.

Huh, wait. The old fox must have leaned closer than usual or something, because Naruto could make out a long lock of red (_orange?_) hair, a vaguely white streak of jawline. "Wearing my cloak deepens our connection. With this, I can bypass the seal and channel more of my chakra into your system."

Well there were a lot of things that were worrisome about that statement (_deepening connection? bypass the seal?_), but Naruto could tell that this wasn't the moment to be bothered with it. Slowed down time or not, Sasuke could be readying the final blow as they were speaking.

Both arms in place, the cloak settled over her jacket-covered shoulders. Ah shit, the thing was freaking huge on her, of course. She scowled at the sleeves that fell far past her hands, the fabric that pooled at her feet, floating on the surface of the water. The twelve year-old felt utterly swamped. _'Just how tall is this guy...?'_

Nope. Not the time to think about it, with Uchiha ass to kick and a promise to keep. Naruto lifted her chin, placing fabric-engulfed hands on her hips. "Alright Fox, is that all?"

Was that a snicker? "You're even smaller than I originally thought. _How amusing_." The demon's voice, while as smooth as ever, carried an undercurrent of laughter. The girl's mouth dropped open. The asshole! "Shut up! I'm normal size; you're the deformed one here, weirdly human-shaped old man!"

"Quit calling me that, you runt." With a growl, the demon leaned into the light, shoulders banging against the gates. Naruto's eyes flew wide open. His face was lean and angular, cat-slit eyes framed with black, and lots and lots of fiery hair falling down to what might be his waist.

Uh. Well, there goes that theory.

* * *

><p><span><em>Haori<em>- A loose, knee-length, Japanese garment resembling a coat. Lightweight and usually silk, it's used to keep the kimono clean and dry.

_Kami-_ Japanese deities, gods.

**A/N:** From here on out, I'm going to try to use these notes to clear up what happens in the story. This is it for the Sasuke Retrieval Arc, I want to focus on just Naruto and Kurama, so the fact that Sasuke wins and so on will simply go unmentioned. This is the last short chapter, probably. They will be longer after this.

I fashioned Kurama's appearance after romanized Japanese aristocracy. The markings around his eyes are similar to the ones he has in his fox form.

Thank you, everyone, for the reviews/favorites/follows! Feedback is greatly appreciated, as well as possible romantic/cute/funny moments. If you've already suggested something, keep reading, because it might show up in the story! You guys typically have really great ideas, so I'll try to fit them in as best as I can.

**Up Next:** On the three year training interval with Naruto, Jiraya loosens the seal on the Kyuubi...!?


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